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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. row — a line
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. can — a tin
  7. capital — money
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. content — the amount
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. capital — a city
  17. can — a tin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ground — crushed
  20. content — happy
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. can — to be able to
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com